Name
Charles Chapman
13/09/1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/08/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
21312
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
1st (City of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8 C 9 A and 16 A.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Cheshunt memorials (*1), Not on the Waltham Cross memorials, St Mary & St Clement Church Memorial, Clavering, Essex, Clavering Village War Memorial Obelisk
Pre War
Charles Chapman was born in Clavering, Essex, on 13th September 1894, son of John Chapman an, Agricultural Worker and Susannah Chapman (nee Matthews). One of twelve children, although two died in infancy.
1901 Census records Charles aged 6, living with his parents and six siblings at, Parsonage Farm, Clavering, Essex, where his father was a Stockman.
1911 Census records Charles aged 16, working as a Farm Labourer, living with his parents, two sisters Kate (11) and Ada (9) still at Parsonage Farm, Clavering, Essex. His cousin Edwin John Chapman (4) was staying with the family on the night of the Census.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted at Saffron Walden, Essex, posted to the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) with the service number 21312. Arrived in France on 29th March 1916, he was killed just five months later on 20th August 1916, aged 22.
His body was never recovered, he is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, to the missing. At the time of his death his Battalion was in the area of Guillemont, Somme, France.
Additional Information
His effects of £5-6s-1d, Pay Owing and a War Gratuity of £3, went to his mother Susannah. Two of his elder brothers also fell in the war, Private 16283 / 109841 Arthur Chapman of The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and the Labour Corps died on 24th September 1918, aged 37, and Private 19628 Walter Chapman of the Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) was killed in action on 21st September 1918, aged 29.
Charles’s only known connection to Cheshunt was his brothers, Arthur and Walter Chapmen live in the Waltham Cross and Cheshunt area.
*1 There is a C Chapman on the Cheshunt Town and the Holy Trinity (died 1917). There appear to be two possible men: Private 266741, Clement Chapman, 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regiment (died) 1917) and Private 21312, Charles Chapman, 1st (City of London) Bn., London Regiment (died 1916)– the latter seems to have a weaker connection to Cheshunt – so, given that Clement died in 1917, he is the man commemorated in Holy Trinity Church and so is most likely to also be the man commemorated to the Town memorial. We have therefore recorded Charles as not on the Cheshunt memorials.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
